5 Icebreakers to get your customers talking without the awkward silence.

We’re all agreed that engaging a passer by at at an exhibition can be difficult, right? You’ve got competition everywhere and you’re all fighting for the most attention and engagement. So, how are you going to make one of those people want to come over and interact with you and your exhibition? Well, we’ve put together a list of 5 ways which we think could attract an audience.

1. KEEP IT LIGHT HEARTED AND TELL A JOKE

Everyone hates a hard sell. If you walk into a clothes store and the first thing anyone says to you is ‘what is it you’re looking for today?’ you might be put off. Well, unless you’re one of those super organised people who has done their online research or you’re going for the same jeans you buy every time. Chances are though, you aren’t one of those customers. You’re probably just going for a browse and want to find out if you’re interested first. So go in with a joke. Here's one for you: "What's in the wardrobe? Narnia business."

2. MAKE IT TOPICAL

Chances are, the person you’re about to talk to has probably heard something about the latest Big Brother eviction or the scores from the football last weekend. Have a chat with them about it! It makes a break for you, and them. It’s not sales, you’re just building that rapport. People appreciate not being overloaded with critical information all the time, it’s why we love some trash TV. If you’re not a lover of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, go for the typical British topic - weather. Everyone knows about that one at least and if there is one thing the British love, it’s talking about the weather.

If there is one thing the British love, it’s talking about the weather.

3. ANYONE FOR A CUPPA?

Exhibitions are long days of being stood on your feet, talking to people and wondering when your next coffee break will be. Easy solution - you can be the coffee break. Offer people a seat and something to drink, if they’ve got the time, they’ll appreciate it. Hey, you could even throw a biscuit or two in there!

4. HOW ABOUT A TOUR?

You might know every nook and cranny of your production facilities but the chances are that your customers don’t. The more you understand how a product is made, the easier it become to sell. So take them for a tour. With advancements in technology, you no longer need to take a flight over to the production facilities in China, you can do it all from your phone screen. Make a virtual reality video that allows your customers to pop on a headset and take a tour around your factory and see the items being made.

5. FANCY A CHANCE OF BEING CROWNED CHAMPION?

Simple, yet effective. Everyone loves a spot of healthy competition to really spike that interest. What about a Wii Sports or Xbox Kinect game of skiing or tennis to see who can get the highest scores? It doesn’t have to be incredibly sporty but it will get people’s attention and they’ll be grateful for the small distraction from their day of absorbing information. As mentioned in our article ‘Making a break for it’ taking a 5 minute break can actually improve your capability to focus by up to 13%, meaning your customer is more likely to remember you and therefore remember what you do after the exhibition.

These are only a few suggestions, and we have plenty more, but these are nice and simple to give your customers that well needed break from their busy schedule.